Formed January 1, 1871 (92nd county)
Swain County (14,115), Bryson City (1,555)
The Modern brown brick and concrete facility was built in 1980 and is on Mitchell Street between Slope and Everett streets. The courthouse is one block northwest of United States Highway 19 passing through the town. Nichols, Carter, Seay and Grant Architects are the designers. A history and veteran memorials wall is in front of the building. The county was founded on January 1, 1871 from Jackson and Macon counties as the 92nd county with Bryson City as the only county seat. There were 1880 and 1908 versions of the courthouse in the past. Swain County was named for Governor David L. Swain. The county seat was named after one of the founders of Charleston, South Carolina, Thaddeus Bryson.
Swain County government consists of a manager, a register, a sheriff, an attorney, and a clerk (executive). It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.) Twenty-seven Superior Court Judges serve Swain, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey counties, Six District Court Judges serve Swain, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, and Macon counties and a court clerk serves Swain County (judicial.) The county is located in western North Carolina on the border with Tennessee. Asheville, North Carolina is east and Knoxville, Tennessee is north of the county. The center of the county is 1.2 miles West of Bryson City. The county is surrounded clockwise by Tennessee and Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Graham counties.
The area of the county is 540 square miles. It is 39 out of 100 in the state. It ranks 88 out of 100 in population in the state. It has a density of 26.1 persons per square mile making it 93 out of 100 in the state. Swain County has 11.0% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 19 crosses the county east to west from Haywood County to Macon County. United States Highway 74 enters from the southeast, Jackson County, and joins United States Highway 19 into Macon County. United States Highway 441 comes from Tennessee, north, and joins United States Highway 74 into Jackson County. The county resembles a flying bird. Bryson City is located in south and east of center in the county. Bryson City is the county seat and the largest city since it is the only incorporated city. It is 11.0% of the county population. The county is pronounced SWAN. The county seat is pronounced BRIE-SON SI-TEE.
Bryson City
